History
by freefallinginlove
Summary: Natural History. Personal History. Naturally, it's personal. Mr. Manning doesn't know what hit him. M for... well, maturity... and Immaturity too.


_**A/N: Hey there! Uhm, Hope you like this. Just sayin. Obviously, as a Disclaimer, I own none of this, make no profit from it but REALLY wish they'd come back and make a new series. **_

_**Still. On with it? **_

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**Prologue]**

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He had missed this. This girl that had walked into his life a long time ago – until he had had to leave. She was tiny, compared to his huge hands, the ones that handled guns and bombs, the ones that came into contact with criminals on a daily basis, and his height – the way he stood six inches over her until she put on those heels that he didn't want her to take off.

She was dark in his dreams, pale skin from hiding out under the trees in his back garden, but hair the colour of... well, in the darkness of his dream-bedroom, he couldn't be sure. But she was calling his name. And then the ringtone of his home phone.

_Wait, wait... people didn't ring. _

Rolling over and back into reality, Bobby looked at the caller ID on his phone. _Unknown_. Interesting, especially at a time that felt like three AM.

"G'day?"

"Bobby?" Her voice had surprised him on the phone, "Bobby Manning?"

"Yes?" He'd answered shortly, unsure of the voice and of the female caller. He never got calls from women – ever. He never let it get that far, apart from Darcy – when they were together – or Tara, and Tara went on for hours. "Who's this?"

"Uhm, this… is Maddison Ryan." She stopped, and he waited. The name sounded familiar, but the Australian-in-Washington hadn't heard it since… well, since he'd left home. "We used to know each other, in high schoo-" That was it. Every little memory came crashing down inside of him, and he felt his heart explode into his throat. _It couldn't be her. It couldn't be..._

"Maddy?" And then his voice chirped up just a little bit, "How are you? Bloody hell! I haven't even…"

"Mum died, Bobby." She had decided as soon as she found his number that she would tell him straight out. "Mine, not yours."

"What?" He breathed out, feeling a rush of sympathy for the girl who he had pretty much been joined to the hip with ten years ago. "Maddy, no-"

"Yeah," She sighed down the phone, "You know, it happens," Another beat of silence, "She had cancer, Bobby, your mum and stepfather were really good to us. I figured I should let you know... and ask you to thank your mum and dad."

"You could do it-"

"I'm in Washington," She said simply, "And I don't have their numbers."

"You're where?" Stunned voice, high squeak, Bobby blinked out of his window, as though she would suddenly appear on his balcony. "You're here?"

"Here?" She sounded stunned too, "You're in DC?"

"Yeah. I work here!" _Duh._

"Funny you should say that." She made a small sound and Bobby faintly remembered a tiny girl with plaits and glasses chewing on her lip when she was nervous. "I'd been putting off a job... so I could take care of mum. And now," She laughed, though it sounded more than forced, "I've taken it. And... well... yeah... I guess I work here too."

"Wow, uhm, any reason for the late night phone call, other than a greeting?"

"I'm still on Australia Time, I guess," She let out a quiet laugh, "It's only just before midnight, though-"

"Yeah, I'm shot though, I've been working my butt off this week-"

"Oh, my god! I'm sorry! Seriously, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't-"

"Don't worry!" Bobby laughed, because this was the kind of conversation he missed, simple, friendly and genuine. "Honestly, usually, I'm up watching... well, watching the cricket on ESPN, but it's off season, and I'm shattered, and... can we talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah," She grinned down the phone, feeling a lot lighter for knowing she was in the same city as a friend from back in the day, "Call me?"

"Hey, why don't we meet for lunch or something? I'm in Georgetown, you wanna meet at the Lincoln Memorial? I know some places we could go."

"Okay," She sounded excited now, and if he could have seen her, he would have noticed that she was bouncing up and down on her mattress. "Midday good?"

"Midday's perfect!" He grinned, "I'll speak to you then, Madds."

"Night, Bobby." She smiled down the phone, "Missed your voice."

"Me too, Maddison. Trust me, it's wonderful to hear someone from home."

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End file.
